Dante Pettis enthusiastically explains how his passions outside of football can help him on the field

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Dante Pettis has a lot of interests outside of football. He loves writing, art, photography, movies, and almost anything else creative.

None of this is news if you are someone who keeps up with the 49ers. What you might not know, however, is that Pettis, who is in his first NFL season, already has his post-football years planned out. That's not to say the young wideout doesn't want to have a long and productive career in the sport. It's just that he has so many passions, including football, that he will be ready to dive into the others when the NFL is no longer a part of his life.

Oh, and he loves cats. Like, really, really loves cats.

The Players' Tribune published a feature on Thursday written by Pettis. He explains his plan once his football days are over, how a conversation with Spike Lee encouraged him not to wait until then to further explore his many passions, and how those creative interests can make him a better player.

Pettis wrote the following in the feature:

"I'm a writer, a photographer, a literature fanatic, a lover of poetry, a movie buff, and about a hundred other things. It's like, some people play video games or go bowling when they're not on the field. Me? I write, or take pictures, or just … create. I genuinely love spending time doing that stuff, just as I love playing football. And I'm convinced that those artistic outlets allow me to be more creative on the field — to see things that maybe other players don't, or to tap into emotions that allow me to be the very best football player I can be."

Pettis also hopes his interest in cats can be a part of his post-football years, whether that be through photography or creating shelters for abused, sick, or injured big cats.

In the meantime...

"Over the next decade or so, hopefully I can just keep getting better at football each day, and can help the Niners win a few more Super Bowls, while at the same time continuing to improve as a writer and photographer in my spare time."

You can read the lengthy feature over at The Players' Tribune.

Also, cats...